Spring storm dumps snow in New England

The tail lights of a car traveling down a road during a spring snowstorm leave a light trail in this 30-second time exposure in Freeport, Maine on Friday, April 1.

Robert F. Bukaty / AP

Motorists make their way north during a spring snowstorm on Interstate 295 in Freeport, Maine on Friday, April 1.

Photographer Robert Bukaty of the Associated Press tells us how he made the picture (top):

Outside the Frame: 30 seconds in the snow

FREEPORT, Maine — The last time I covered a snowstorm, I made a decent photo of an SUV that was straddling a guard rail after it went off the interstate. I figured I’d probably end up taking pictures of cars off the road again today (which I ultimately did), but I tried to think of something different to shoot to start the day. I started thinking it would be cool to do some time exposures of red tail lights in the blue, pre-dawn darkness, leaving the shutter open for several seconds to capture the moving lights. The trouble is, when it’s snowing this hard, it can be difficult to find a safe place to pull off the road. So I just walked down my driveway and set my camera on a tripod. After taking a test shot, I decided to go with a 30-second exposure. Then I waited for somebody to drive by — three cars and one plow passed in a half-hour, and I got my shot. I was out just long enough for me and my camera to get soaking wet.

Click here for the full story on the April Fools spring storm that knocked out power for thousands and gave kids a surprise reprieve from school.